Rufous-necked Wryneck Jynx ruficollis Scientific name definitions

19 cm; male 52–59 g, female 46–52 g. Small, aberrant, long-tailed woodpecker with short, pointed bill . Both sexes have lores and ear-coverts barred buff-white and brown, malar area whitish with brown vermiculations ; forehead to uppertail-coverts, including scapulars, wing-coverts  and tertials, grey-brown, variably marked with black shaft streaks/bars and subterminal spots, wing-coverts with white tips; irregular central black stripe from crown centre to mantle; crown sides, rump, uppertail-coverts, wing-coverts and tertials usually very finely vermiculated; flight-feathers dark brown, barred light rusty to rufous-white ; uppertail brownish grey with prominent white-bordered black bars; chin to upper breast rufous-chestnut (extent of colour somewhat variable), central throat occasionally barred (e.g. in Kenya); rest of underparts whitish with brown shaft streaks , flanks and lower belly to vent tinged buffy , lower flanks also barred, undertail-coverts barred; underwing barred brown and pale rufous-buff; bill brownish grey, darker tip; iris brown; legs olive-green to brownish. Differs from J. torquilla in larger size, rufous breast or throat, more streaked and less barred belly, much longer outer primary. Juvenile darker with more barring above, most of underparts finely barred, rufous colour duller and less extensive. Races differ mainly in tone of upperparts and in amount and darkness of rufous below, but much variation: aequatorialis has rufous reaching lower breast  , and often upper flanks, also extensive rufous-buff on lower flanks to lower belly  and undertail-coverts, ventral streaking less prominent, sometimes some barring on throat; pulchricollis is less grey-brown above, more rufous-tinged, throat to breast chestnut rather than rufous, throat more strongly barred and sometimes without rufous, flanks washed rusty, chestnut on lower belly to undertail-coverts.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Inhabits wooded grassland, open forest and forest edge, as well as open areas with trees. Widespread in drier acacia (Acacia) savanna and open bush, especially in wooded gorges on hillsides and along streams; occurs in miombo woodland, also in denser Cryptosepalum woodland in E Angola; also found in plantations, gardens, and stands of exotic trees in urban areas. Occurs from 600 m up to 3300 m (2 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), in Kenya mostly 1400–2500 m; recorded up to 1550 m in S Africa.

Largely resident, but dispersive, and perhaps somewhat nomadic. Movements not well understood; records outside known breeding areas, particularly in E (including Mozambique), may represent post-breeding dispersal or, possibly, short-distance migration. At least partially migratory in S parts of range; migrants pass through NE South Africa in Feb and Mar; some S African birds migrate as far N as E Zaire. Often colonizes an area for a period and then vanishes, only to reappear several years later; also breeds, at least occasionally, in regions outside normal, disjunct breeding areas. Vagrant in Sudan, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

Mainly ants  and their pupae and eggs; also some other small arthropods. Gleans items from the bark of dead branches of trees, also from larger bushes; also forages frequently on ground , where it hops about with tail raised. Occasionally observed in small parties (families?) of 3–5 individuals (2 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Sings from dead tree , loud, high “kwik-kwik-kwik-kwik-kwik-kwik, kwee kwee kwee” or “week-week-week-week” series by male, lower-pitched “uit-uit-uit-uit-uit” by female; also low, guttural “peegh-peegh-peegh”; long series of “krok” notes in display; quiet “klik” calls in alarm. Tends to be most vocal 1–2 months before eggs are laid, becoming relatively quiet once incubation starts (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ).

Eggs May in Ethiopia (2 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); Apr in Gabon; in Angola, adult in breeding condition in Aug, juvenile seen in Sept; possibly Feb in Uganda (4 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ); breeds Aug–Feb (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ) in South Africa (mainly Oct) (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ) and Zambia (5 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); often two broods reared in a season, but sometimes even three or four. Courtship feeding by male sometimes continues into incubation period. Nest situated in disused hole of barbet (Capitonidae), mainly Black-collared Barbet (Lybius torquatus) or Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii) in S Africa (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), or woodpecker, or in natural crevice in trunk or bough of tree; sometimes uses artificial nestbox, hollow fence post, or hole under eaves of a house; once in Greater Striped Swallow (Cecropis cucullata) nest (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ); typically 3–4 m above ground, with cavity 300 mm deep (range 200–800 mm) (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ). Usually minimum of 300 m between nearest nests (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ). Clutch 3–4 white (6 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) eggs, with exceptional extremes 1–6, laid at one-day intervals (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), size 20·5–23·5 mm × 15·5–17·5 mm, mass 3 (7 Yom-Tov, Y. and Ar, A. (1993). Incubation and fledging durations of woodpeckers. Condor. 95(2): 282-287. Close )–3·5 g (6 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ); both sexes incubate, period 12–15 days, starting before clutch complete (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ); both care for chicks, which give snake-like head movements and hissing sounds in response to intruders; fledging period 25–26 days. One pair was recorded raising three successive broods, with 14–24 days between fledging of one brood and laying of next clutch. Nests regularly parasitized by honeyguides (Indicatoridae), especially Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor) (3 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ); in South Africa 40% of eggs produced fledged juveniles and 57% of nests were successful (6 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Locally common, but often irregular in occurrence. Range in former Zaire more widespread than often stated in literature (8 Demey, R., P. Herroelen, and T. Pedersen (2000). Additions and annotations to the avifauna of Congo-Kinshasa (ex-Zaïre). Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 120(3):154–172. Close ). Not uncommon in Angola; uncommon in Ethiopia; uncommon in Kenya and rare in neighbouring Uganda (4 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ); rare in Zambia, where all records are from N of country (5 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ) and only records from Malawi now rejected (9 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); just one officially accepted record in Zimbabwe (10 Riddell, I.C. (2007). Changes to the Zimbabwean bird list since 19847. Honeyguide. 53(1–2): 41–52. Close ), although others are available and there is some evidence the species breeds there (11 Wood, A.J. (2009). The Red-throated Wryneck in Zimbabwe. Honeyguide. 55(1): 28-29. Close ); locally common in South Africa, where appears to have expanded considerably due to introduction of alien trees to many grassland areas which formerly lacked trees. Shows a rather disjunct breeding range, and presence in many areas is rather erratic; breeds at least occasionally in regions outside normal range; pairs are usually widely scattered, and there are considerable annual fluctuations in numbers, making assessment of population size difficult. Occurs in many protected areas throughout range.